"I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
as long as I'm living
my baby you'll be."

-Robert Munsch

I remember having this book read to me in pre-school, and reading it again in elementary school. Containing only around 70 words (most of them repeated), it starts with illustrations of a mother whispering that verse while tenderly cradling her newborn child. It continues as the infant learns the mischievous ways of a toddler, moves on to sketches of teen life, with the child eventually becoming an adult. All the while, the loving mother is never far away; always helping, always caring. The final drawing shows the middle-aged "infant" gently holding his frail and dying mother. Their roles now reversed, he speaks those same words as he watches her near the end. Such simple words, yet it humbles me that i haven't truly felt their meaning until now:

"I'll love you forever,



I'll like you for always,



as long as I'm living



my baby you'll be."



...we love you grandma.


RIP May 2, 2006

Full Circle (sessions 13 & 14) - May 6 & 22 2006

all the way back to the area first inked, it's been untouched for nearly 10 years. (O_o did i really just say that?! a bloody DECADE it's been?? oiy...)
i guess it's kinda cool to see we're finally filling in the last piece of the puzzle now. seems ironic how it was the first part to be lined, but ends up as the last part to be shaded/detailed. not sure if they always plan it out like that, but it is what it is. makes me wonder what other aspects of life are like that?

(for those who know the story) :

"So the last will be first, and the first will be
last."
- Matthew 20:16

first to be created, last to be fulfilled? i dunno, just seemed like an interesting paradox...

nyeh...ah well, so that's how it is. decided not to go full out black for this section b/c the detail would be lost. rather, the scales are shaded in a similar fashion as the koi and had the black mixed in w/ shades of gray. i like it. gives it the dual-character effect; not good/not bad...but in the end I know who i am.

got scolded today too...they can tell i've been out in the sun too much. unbeknownst to me, the ink can oxidize in the sun (even though it's not direct, i'm not THAT stupid)...but yeah, the slightest amount (especiall on fresh/relatively new ink) has consequences. some of the fresh blues show signs of fading...got a lot of "tsk tsk-ing" for that. hahaha, i was very remorseful, i'll try my best to not let it happen again. i just need to have someone w/ me to help slather on the SPF 500000 and it'll be all gude.

Session 13 went for about 3 hours, and 14 was cut short of a full day @ about 2.5 dude thinks we can just about finish it in 2 more sessions; one long one, and then a short one to touch-up/finalize any bits and pieces. i dunno, i'm a pretty picky bugger so i dunno if that'll be enough...but we'll see.

still, progress is coming along nicely. capped off the bottom part, touched up details on the left, darkened in the background on the right, and created more depth in the middle. from what i can see, the right needs to be capped off still, and from there on it's pretty much just finishing touches (and my pickiness) that'll keep it from being complete. another 4 hours before i head off to Japan should do it!

until next time...